NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Weston Wittek loved a lot of things about his apartment at The Finery, a luxury community in Nashville's Wedgewood-Houston neighborhood.
"I love the area. We've got a basketball court — that's unique," Wittek said.
But after a year of unresolved air conditioning problems, he moved out.
Wittek's rent was roughly $2,200 a month. Despite paying that price, he says no matter how low he set the thermostat, his 700-square-foot apartment struggled to stay cool, and multiple maintenance visits never led to a lasting fix.
"I will say, they do respond, the maintenance people of the building, but like I said, the results were just not there," he said.
The cooling issues drove his electric bills sky-high. In his first full month in the apartment, Wittek says his usage exceeded 2,000 kilowatt-hours.
"This was the real doozy. When I first moved in... the full first month, September... an excess of 2,000 kWh," Wittek said as he showed us his NES usage information.
After several electric bills topping $300, he escalated the issue and reported it to Metro Codes.
On June 25, Metro Codes issued a violation to The Finery with a remediation order stating: "Please repair HVAC system." Records show the problem was not fixed when codes reinspected a month later. If the issue is not corrected by Aug. 10, the property could begin facing daily fines.
The Finery says it worked with Wittek throughout his lease, reimbursed 70% of 3 months' electric bills, offered him another unit, and hired a third-party vendor that found the system was working properly. Management also says Wittek's habit of turning the AC off while traveling may have contributed to the cooling delays.
Wittek moved out Friday. But he says he doesn't want the next tenant to deal with the same problem.
"To be honest, I think the truth always prevails," Wittek said.
Late Friday afternoon, Metro Codes confirmed the apartment told inspectors a letter is coming that confirms the system is now working properly. Technicians serviced the unit and added more refrigerant to help it cool properly.
Landlord-tenant resources
The Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee & the Cumberlands created this document that lists your rights as a renter, including what to do if you have concerns about things like your heating and cooling system, gas, water, sewage, or plumbing.
If you live in any Tennessee county other than Anderson, Blount, Bradley, Davidson, Hamilton, Knox, Madison, Maury, Montgomery, Rutherford, Sevier, Shelby, Sullivan, Sumner, Washington, Williamson, or Wilson, these different renter rights and protections apply.
Check out NewsChannel5.com/HannahCanHelp for more resources.
If you think I can help with a problem you're facing, email me at hannah.mcdonald@newschannel5.com.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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